Three Syracuse players who soon may appear on College Football Hall of Fame ballot

No former Syracuse players wound up on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2013, but former defensive end Dwight Freeney may one day find himself nominated.Frank Ordonez | The Post-Standard

The National Football Foundation released the ballot for the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Class on Tuesday, and no former Syracuse players or coaches made the cut.

Criteria for the Hall is tough to meet, and I'm told there's a definite sense of pride and exclusivity with it being as such.

Only first-team All-America selections are under consideration (sorry, Donovan).

Any dues-paying member of the NFF or athletic director, coach or sports information official from a dues-paying member school can nominate a player or coach for the Hall.

Once cleared by the NFF, the nominee is submitted to one of eight District Screening Committees nearest to the institution where the nominee played.

Only the top vote-getters (approx. 60 players) from the DSC are forwarded to the NFF staff for inclusion on the ballot, which also carries names of candidates held over from the previous year. These carryover names are referred to as "automatic holdovers" and are decided upon by the Honors Court.

The ballot of players and coaches is mailed to all dues-paying members of the NFF vote. The results are compiled and provided to the Honors Court, which determines the final class members.

In all, 18 men with ties to Syracuse are enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and it wouldn't be a shock to see a few more join the fray in future years.

Three names immediately come to mind, and all fit the bill for being eligible (or soon will be).

DE Dwight Freeney: A player cannot be nominated for the ballot until 10 years after his last intercollegiate football game, but he also must be retired from pro football as well. Freeney, an unanimous first-team All-American defensive end in 2001, once recorded a sack in 17 straight games and finished his career with 104 tackles (51 for loss), 14 forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He is currently a free agent and should a lock to be nominated once he decides to hang up the cleats.

WR Marvin Harrison: Harrison would actually enter the Hall not for his pass catching ability but for his return skills, which earned him All-America honors in 1995. One sticking point with Harrison, however, could be a factor weighed upon enshrinement that deals with a player's post-football record as a citizen. Harrison, you may remember, was linked to the shooting death of a man in Philadelphia a few years ago by police. No charges were ever filed.

K Gary Anderson Georgia's Kevin Butler is the only kicker elected to the Hall of Fame. The committee will try to have some position equity when choosing the final class, so there's certainly room to add a few more kickers in the coming years.

Who else from Syracuse should be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame? Share your nominees in the comment section below.